Sponge Cake for Baked Alaska Recipe
Whipping the eggs and sugar over gentle heat before beating them off the heat dissolves the sugar fully and builds a stable, dense foam, so the batter holds its structure when the flour is folded in. The result is a firm, slightly dry sponge, exactly what you want under baked alaska, since a rich or overly moist cake would turn soggy under the ice cream or collapse when torched or broiled.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 large large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 174
- Protein
- 4g
- Carbs
- 27g
- Fat
- 5g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a parchment circle and grease the sides lightly; do not grease the parchment itself.
- 2Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water). Add the eggs and sugar and whisk constantly until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- 3Remove the bowl from the heat and beat the egg mixture with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes, until it has tripled in volume and falls off the whisk in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a few seconds.
- 4Sift the cake flour and salt directly over the whipped eggs in two additions, folding gently with a spatula after each until just no streaks of flour remain.
- 5Stir the vanilla into the melted butter, then drizzle it around the edge of the bowl and fold in with a few light strokes, just until incorporated.
- 6Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top gently with a spatula.
- 7Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed and the edges have pulled slightly away from the pan.
- 8Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn it out onto the rack to cool completely before trimming, slicing, or freezing.
Tips & variations
- Cake flour, not all-purpose, gives the finer, drier crumb that holds up best once frozen; if substituting, use 3/4 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons, replaced with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- Because the sponge is meant to be frozen and eventually torched or broiled, deliberately underdecorate it with add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips, which can scorch or turn bitter under direct heat.
- Brush the cooled sponge lightly with simple syrup or a spoonful of liqueur (dark rum or orange liqueur both work) before building the ice cream dome; freezing dries a sponge out more than refrigeration does, and the syrup compensates.
- For a taller baked alaska, bake a double batch as two thin layers and stack them with a thin layer of jam between before adding the ice cream.
Storage & reheating
Wrap the fully cooled sponge tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 2 months; there's no need to thaw it before building the ice cream dome on top, since baked alaska is assembled and stored frozen anyway. At room temperature, well wrapped, the plain sponge keeps for about 2 days before it starts to dry out.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Trim the domed top of the cooled sponge flat with a serrated knife before assembling; a flat surface keeps the ice cream layer even and stops it sliding off center.
- Bake the sponge a day or two ahead of assembling the baked alaska so there's no rush between baking, freezing the ice cream dome, and torching the meringue.
FAQ
Why does baked alaska need a sponge cake instead of a richer cake?
A lean, egg-foam sponge is firm and slightly dry, so it doesn't turn soggy sitting under ice cream in the freezer and holds its shape when the meringue exterior is torched or briefly broiled. A buttery or moist cake would soften and slump under that same treatment.
Can I use a boxed cake mix instead?
You can, but a boxed mix is generally more tender and moist, which makes it more prone to getting soggy under the ice cream once thawed slightly for serving; a genoise-style sponge like this one holds its structure better.
My sponge deflated or came out flat. What went wrong?
The most common cause is folding the flour in too aggressively, which knocks the air out of the whipped eggs. Underwhipping the eggs before adding flour, so the foam never triples in volume to begin with, is the other frequent cause.
Can I make the sponge cake ahead of time?
Yes, and it's recommended. Bake it a day or two ahead, cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze until you're ready to build the ice cream dome on top; it goes straight from freezer to assembly with no thawing needed.
